


Interlude

by xxMad_Donaxx



Series: Differences [4]
Category: Dragon Age
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-05
Updated: 2012-11-05
Packaged: 2017-11-18 01:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/555151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxMad_Donaxx/pseuds/xxMad_Donaxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A brief check in with my first little family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Interlude

“I think he’s sweet on her,” Anders said as he sat in his rocking chair on the porch. The small porch had been enlarged along with the house. Fenris sat next to him in another rocking chair they had purchased. Hawke sat on a stump on the other side of the door.

They were all watching Brit and Gawain at the edge of the forest. The children were probably unaware of their audience as they played with Cecil. Gawain, who was now fourteen, could hardly be called a child. He stood nearly as tall as Fenris and was as ruggedly handsome as Anders had predicted. Brit had begun developing shortly after their adventure in the Tower but was still too young, in his opinion.

“You make that sound like a bad thing,” Hawke said with a slight frown.

Learning to live with Hawke had been challenging at first. He was nothing like the grumpy man who had walked boldly into his Darktown clinic and demanded the maps. Anders had often wondered why he’d followed the man to begin with. It certainly hadn’t been because of his personality. Hawke had often been angry and grating. Through their years in Kirkwall that had only gotten worse.

If it hadn’t been for Justice, Hawke would have killed him. Five years later he’d had no qualms about putting his dagger in Anders’ side when he’d followed Fenris and Brit. There was also the fact that he was still technically a Templar. He made the trip to Honnleath every week with him and Brit to pick up his supply of lyrium from Ser Martin. Despite all of this, Anders had been determined to give the man another chance.

Solona’s influence on him over the six years he spent in Denerim was very clear. Until they had found a common ground, Hawke had been tentative. Anders rarely saw him angry but he took his duty to protect Gawain as seriously as he had any of the tasks the citizens of Kirkwall had asked of him. He worked his share of the chores without complaint, perhaps finding solace in them.

Part of what had kept peace between the three of them was the fact that none of them spoke of their shared past. There had been far too many angry words and hurtful, even hateful, acts from all three of them. None of them wanted to bring those feelings to the surface again.

“Not bad necessarily,” said Anders with a shrug. “She could certainly do a lot worse but she’s still pretty young for that sort of thing.”

“He knows that,” Hawke said. “We’ve had a few…chats. He’s not really interested in girls that way yet anyhow.”

Anders was very glad that May had volunteered to have those sorts of chats with Brit. He didn’t mind being the unofficial mother of their strange family. He had accepted that role when Fenris and Brit first arrived. Being a healer, he also knew a lot of things most men didn’t about how a woman’s body works. There was also no way he could have answered all of her questions. Making an extra trip to Honnleath every once in a while so Brit could talk to May wasn’t much to ask for the knowledge only a mother could impart to her daughter.

“Think of the scandal,” Fenris said sounding amused. “The next King of Ferelden with an elf for his Queen.”

“If Ferelden can handle a mage Queen I think it deal with an elven one,” said Hawke confidently.

“An elf _and_ a mage?” Anders asked skeptically. “I think there’s only heartache down that path.”

“The boy is just as hard headed as his father,” Fenris said tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair.

“And she’s as strong willed as hers,” Hawke said frowning. “What does that have to do with them being the next monarchs of Ferelden?”

“It means,” Anders said standing up. “If they truly want to be together, there’s nothing on Thedas that will stop them. I’m going to start supper. Some help would be appreciated.”

Anders stepped inside the open door with Fenris close behind. There was plenty of time for the children to figure out what they wanted. He couldn’t help but be a little concerned for his daughter though. The whole reason he’d been watching them all afternoon were some questions Brit had asked, after swearing him to secrecy, this morning during lessons.

Gawain had been receiving letters from Sebastian regularly. The content of one of the latest of these letters had bothered him and he’d confided in Brit, who had confided in him. Sebastian had mentioned something about a visit, which bothered Anders in the first place, but apparently Sebastian was trying to hook up the future King of Ferelden with a noble girl from Starkhaven.

He understood the necessity for Gawain to marry and produce an heir. If Cailan had had an heir there wouldn’t have been as much of a fuss when he’d died at Ostagar. There also wouldn’t have been a need for Gawain to be named Alistair’s heir. Anders couldn’t help but be suspicious of Sebastian’s motives. Despite his recent growth spurt, his deepening voice and a sudden interest in the opposite sex, Gawain was still a boy. He shouldn’t have to be thinking about a wife and children at fourteen.

Arranged marriages were common enough but Anders didn’t like them. It took away their freedom of choice. He wanted to write Alistair or Solona, hopefully prevent Gawain being promised to someone he’d never met but he’d promised Brit that he wouldn’t say anything. He’d encouraged her to tell Gawain to write to Alistair or Solona however.

She had been upset this morning when she’d asked about all this. Anders couldn’t be sure what had Brit upset, doubted that she knew why she was upset. So he’d watched them. Gawain was definitely sweet on Brit. After watching them together all afternoon, he thought he knew why Sebastian’s letter had upset both of them. Brit might not understand why the thought of Gawain being set up with a girlfriend bothered her but Anders did now. She likes him as much as he likes her.

It was a terrible position for Gawain to be in. Anders wanted him to be happy and he hoped Gawain would tell Sebastian to shove off. He was also quite torn on whether or not he liked the idea of Brit becoming Queen of Ferelden. It was a responsibility Gawain had accepted. If he was being pressured to find a Queen now it was only going to get worse.

In the future, if Brit chose Gawain then Anders would have to live with her decision. But Fenris was right…there would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the nobles of the Landsmeet. They might accept another mage Queen but he was sure there would be a huge fuss about an elf Queen. Anders sighed and tried to put all of this out of his mind. There would be years before this became an issue. Worrying about it now would only make his hair whiter than it already was.

*

Gawain stood at the edge of the forest, lost in thought. Brit had said there was something she wanted to show him and had gone back to the house to get it. While he waited for her and Cecil to get back his mind wandered back to the letter he’d shown her last night.

There were times when Gawain regretted his decision to be Alistair’s heir. It had been a near constant feeling since he’d received the last letter from his Uncle. If it hadn’t been bad enough that both of his Ferelden tutors had been harping on the subject of Queens and heirs from the first moment his voice had cracked, this letter from Uncle Sebastian definitely made it worse. He didn’t _want_ to think about marriage. Gawain was still more interested in his archery lessons. Between the not so subtle hints his tutors dropped nearly every day and his Uncle trying to arrange his future wife for him, Gawain was nearly ready to run away.

Before the letter, he’d asked his Da why the tutors were so obsessed about him being married. His answer had involved a short history lesson on King Cailan and the blight. Even though he’d been married, King Cailan had no heir. Apparently, if it hadn’t been for the current King and Queen, Ferelden might have been lost to the darkspawn because of a stupid fight over the empty throne. King Alistair avoided the possibility of another stupid fight by naming him his heir.

The Landsmeet had accepted Gawain because he was related to the Hero of Ferelden and the Champion of Kirkwall. Two people who had done great things and they expected great things of him. Also being related to the Prince of Starkhaven had probably helped. Da had said the sooner Gawain married the sooner he could make a baby and the new royal lineage would be assured. The thought of what he would have to do to make that baby still made him shudder. Girls were interesting, far more than they had been before his voice had begun changing, but they weren’t _that_ interesting.

Uncle Sebastian’s letter had only made him think about this more than he already was. It felt like he was being forced into something he didn’t want. When he’d agreed to this in the first place, he had simply wanted to help people. He hadn’t agreed to everyone controlling his very future. He’d shown Brit the letter because she was his closest friend but he hadn’t expected how upset she’d gotten over it.

Gawain wasn’t sure if it was the girl or his Uncle’s impending visit that bothered her but he had assured her that he didn’t want either of them. If he had to marry he wanted someone that he chose. Not some stuck up noble who likely wanted his future status or who was most likely intended to keep tabs on him. He also _really_ didn’t want to see his Uncle again.

He was still pretty mad with Uncle Sebastian. His letters were sappy and there were occasional jabs at both Fenris and Anders in them. They were just so…arrogant. Da knew he had treated Mum badly but Uncle didn’t seem to care about his Mum. His Mum had been the most important person to him for most of his life and it bothered him that Uncle didn’t care about her.

“What’s wrong Gawain?”

“Da!” he exclaimed at the sudden voice behind him. He turned to face the large man behind him. “I was just thinking.”

“About?” Hawke asked. “You seem to be having some heavy thoughts.”

“What should I do?” Gawain asked after a moment. “I don’t want…”

“Is this about Sebastian’s letter?” Hawke asked frowning. “What’s he trying to pull now?” Gawain nodded unhappily and pulled the letter from his pocket. As Hawke read it his frown deepened. “This again,” he said in disgust. “Tell Sebastian if he likes her so much then maybe he should marry her.”

After a moment of shocked silence, Gawain began laughing. “I never thought of that,” he said when he could.

“It’s your life Gawain. They can’t force you to do something you don’t want to,” Hawke said. “I’ll talk with your tutors and get them to back off as well. You shouldn’t have to think about these things right now.”

“Thanks Da,” Gawain said gratefully.

Hawke smiled and squeezed his shoulder before turning around. He immediately turned back and said quietly, “Follow your heart.”

He watched his Da walk away unsure what he had meant. Cecil bounded out of the house followed by Brit. Gawain decided he could puzzle it out later. For now, he wanted to see what his best friend had to show him.


End file.
